The Trump administration has previously imposed sanctions on the court’s prosecutors and judges. Friday's move goes much further, potentially punishing companies that provide services to the court itself.
"President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. The US Treasury announced the sanctions with a six-month initial grace period, and some other exemptions that would allow some transactions for telecoms, software, payment of pensions and transactions related to detainees.
The court denounced the move as an "assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order," and called on its 125 member states to take action to defend it.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the UN Secretary-General condemns the US’s sanctions.
“Today's decision marks a serious blow to our collective pursuit of international criminal justice, of which the ICC is a key pillar. Accountability for international crimes and delivery of justice to victims are central to our global commitment to peace, to security, human rights, and fundamental freedoms,” said Dujarric.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of eight countries – the UK, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands – issued a joint statement expressing dismay and strong opposition to US sanctions against the ICC. The eight countries reaffirmed their united stance in supporting and cooperating with the court.
